it is well knowne and our Army found the strength and fruit thereof in the day of Battaile When we see Clouds over our heads loden and full with raine we think it will not be long before the Earth receive the bles sing of it from God He that had seen what fullnesse of God what enlargment of the Spirit there was in Prayer for our Army might through faith have foreseen the Victory and said God will send l Ezek. 34.26 SHOWRES OF BLESSING m Psal 68.9 a PLENTIFULL RAINE Raine of Liberallities as the Hebrew is in giving Salvation to England Men at Sea labour to bring themselves upon such Points or Ports as they may receive good Wind to bring them home We know n Psal 33.16 17. there is no King saved by the multitude of an Host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength an Horse is a vaine thing for safety The Battell is not mans but Gods his right hand and holy Arme is the wind which brings us home gets the Victory for us And knowing this our labour was to bring our Army by Prayer upon that Port or Point where we might see Jehovah riding upon the Wings of the Wind girding our Army with strength in the day of Battail and the Enemies as Chaffe which the WIND driveth away * Fulmen adversus hostes imbrem ad refocillandum exercitum Euse Hist Ec. d. 3. c. 9. Eusebius reports that the Christians by prayer obtained lightning against their Enemies and raine to refresh the Army What lesse by Prayer obtained we but on our part Victory and great deliverance Against the Enemy he sent out his Arrows and scattered them he shot out lightnings and discomfited them o Psal 56.9 When I cry unto thee then shall mine Enemies turne back this I know for God is for me p Psal 66.20 Blessed be God which hath not turned away my Prayer nor his mercy from me It is a rule in Art and daily experience shews it contraries placed together doe mutually illustrate each other That there was Prayer made for the successe and wellfare of the Scots Army q Ezek. 3.21 Weeping and Supplications upon the high places r Mal. 2.13 A covering the Altar with Tears with weeping and with crying I say for their prosperity and our overthrow who knows it not Å¿ Ezek. 8.14 Women weeping for Tammuz the Covenant I should have said Now seeing the Lord when they did cry and shout did shut out their Prayer covered himselfe with a cloud that their Prayer should not passe through What should this signifie I shall forbeare to give them mine owne Opinion I desire they would lay their hands on their hearts and speake truely whither hence they have not just cause to think that t Ps 10.97 their Prayer became sin or u Pro. 289. an abomination or that the Lord x Ps 8.4 was angry against it or he heard them not because * Isa 1.15 their hands were full of blood and ‖ 1 TIm 2.8 wrath or ‖ †Ps 66.18 regarded iniquity in their hearts or as it is said of the * Job 27.9 Hypocrite Will God heare his cry when trouble commeth upon him It is true of some God speaks ‖ Jer. 11. Though they cry to him * Ezek. 7.18 cry in his ears with a loud voice he will not hearken to them Though they ‖ †Pro. 1.28 seeke him early with much fasting and ‖ Jer. 14 1â— spread forth their hands he will * Isa 1.15 hide his face from them But who are these not a nationall Church standing for the Holy Covenant for the great cause of God and Reformation not men zealouslie earnest for the purity of divine worship and Enemies to Idolatry superstition heresie Schisme prophanenesse No the Prophets tell us otherwise these were ‖ †Isa 1.4 A sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity ‖ Mic. 3.4 a seed of evill doers Rulers of Sodome * Ver. 23. rebellious Princes and Companions of theevs ‖ Mic. 2.3 who hated the good and loved the evill Whose ‖ †Jer. 14.14 Prophets Prophecyed lyes the Lord sent them not neither spake unto them They Prophecyed to the people a false Vision and divination a thing of nought and the deceit of their own heart These people whose prayers God would not heare and from whom he had hid his face were an HYPOCRITICALL Nation * Isa 10. dissemblers in their heart ‖ Jer. 4.2 AN ASSEMBLY OF TREACHEROUS MEN ‖ †Jer. 15.17 OF MOCKERS such as would deceive every man his Neighbour would not speak the truth but teach their Tongues to speake lyes and wearied themselves to commit iniquity Sons not of Jacob but * Jer. 42.20 of the Sorceresse Children of Transgression a seed of falshood of the Adulterer and of the Whore It is true such a Nation the Lord would not heare neither would his eye pitty them but did appoint them for Famine Pestilence Captivity and the fearfull Sword of War But what then Can it be shewed in holy Scripture that a pure Kirk holding fast the Covenant of God and having under hand the great work of Reformation seeking God by fasting and Prayer in a righteous and just cause were not onely denyed of his presence and pretection but left to the Sword of Hereticks and cruell persecutors to be devoured I remember I have read somwhere that whilst Pompey prospered and Rome flourished Cato stoutly held and defended a divine providence but when he saw Pompey overthrowne by Caesar his body cast upon the shore without honour of Buriall and himselfe exposed to danger of Caesars Army he changed his Opinion denying that there was any Divine providence but all things set out by chance The time was when the Presbyterians Scots and English spake much of Divine providence In Victories and deliverances they could see much of God I meane when the Prelats were going downe and they thought to have had as great power to persecute when like proud Haman they thought that the seducing the men whom the Parliament would honour and Mordecai and his people should be all destroyed then indeed every victory and deliverance against the Kings party in Books and Sermons must have a divine mark and Character of Gods presence then it was the War of God the Cause of God yea and confirmed to be so by Gods Actings and appearances for us But seâ—ng now their way like Baal is like to plead for it selfe sits upon a wooden horse and must stand of it selfe as it will if it be of God with Cato they have ‖ Some report that Manna at first was in eating very sweet and did relish wel but afterward through the murmuring unthankfullnesse of the people it had no savour or good tast That these men see not so much of God in his Dispensations have lost that relish sweet tast of
of Heaven because of their pains and their sores as I unfeignedly desire and my prayer to God for them so is that they may see how the Lord to whom they have again and again appealed is against them and their Cause as being come to them to judgment r Mal. 3.5 a swift witnesse against the sorcerers against the adulterers against false swearers And therefore they shall do well to Å¿ Deut. 17.13 heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously The Prophet David saith t Ps 77.19 Thy way is in the Sea and thy path in the great waters In a Sea-voyage there are no lanes no foot-paths no print of wheels no high Mercuries to direct the Marriners all their direction must be fetched from the Pole and Stars compared with the card and compasse and touched needle It were to be wished that some men for their owne sake and the sake of others would look lesse upon the rotten post of the Covenant the humane Kirk and the Lordly discipline and see more of Gods footsteps and goings in his sanctuary how he bows the Heavens and comes down and darknesse is under his feet when he arises how his Enemies are scattered and the wicked perish at the presence of God Are the unreasonable creatures cal'd upon u Ps 96.11 12 13. heaven and earth the sea the field and all trees of the wood to rejoyce and be glad because the Lord judgeth the world with righteousnesse and the people with his truth should not man more abundantly utter the memory of his great goodnesse sing of his righteousnesse and talk of his power Now wherein is this great goodnesse righteousnesse and power of God more seen then when God hath his way in the Sea speaks from Heaven that is being appeal'd unto as the supreame Judge and call'd upon to give sentence in a Cause depending between two Nations he speaks out and gives sentence yea so x Job 37.4 thundreth with the voyce of his Excellency as our Enemies themselves being Judges they must confesse it is a Divine voyce a God speaking the righteous judgment of the most high y Ps 107 4â— Who so is wise will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. 5. There is not a surer evidence of the Lords presence with a people and pleading their Cause then when in the way of his providence he makes the unreasonable creatures seasonably serve for their comfortable deliverance and safety When he a Dan. 6.22 stopt the Lyons mouths b Dan. 3.27 restraind the violence of the fire c Ps 114.3 Caused the sea to flie Jordan to run back What was shewed here That the Lord d Ps 109.31 stands at the right hand of the poore to save him from those that condemn his soule Again when e Nah. 1.3 the Lord hath his way in the storm When f Judg. 5.20 the stars in their courses shall fight against Sisera and g Josh 10.11 great stones from heaven shall be cast downe upon the heads of the Canaanites when the Lord visiteth h Isa 29.6 with thunder and with earth-quake and great noise with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire What is here signified That he is angry with those against whom he thus fighteth takes them for his Enemies and that they have a sinfull and unrighteous cause What a cleare Character and sign the Lord gave our Armie of owning them and us and the Cause for which they fought Our posterity after us shall have cause to remember and to blesse God for it Thus it was Vpon Saturday August 30. we marched from Muscleburgh to Heddington where by that time we had got the Van brigade of our Horse and our Foot and Train into their Quarters the Enemie was marched with that exceeding expedition that they fell upon the Reed-forlorn of our Horse put it in some disorder And indeed had like to have engaged our Reer-brigade of Horse with the whole Army had not the Lord by his providence put a cloud over the * Luna clariore paene coelo visa languescere Tac. Aonâ—â— l. 1. Moon thereby giving us opportunitie to draw off those Horse to the rest of the Armie So his Excellency From anoâ—â—er ‖ In a â—â—â—tive 〈…〉 friend Col. Overton Governour of Hull hand thus The Enemie unknown to us attended upon 〈◊〉 right wing and in the Evening drew up a strong party upon our â—â—cer guard and might probably have spoiled them if not proviâ—â—â—tially prevented by the over-shadowing clouds which so eclipsed the Moone as thereby a period was put to the Enemies motion untill the Skie was cleared c. A little before day the darkenesse is greatest When our streights and troubles are at the highest then is our deliverance nearest at hand In sick persons we see it commeth to passe that they think there is no hope of life when the Physitians and standers by see certaine and undoubted signes of health When i 1 Sam. 23.24 Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them here was little hope of life what way now could a man imagine of safety to David What probability or possibility in mans understanding that he should escape yet the Lord found out a way for him and delivered him When the King of Syria sent Horses and Chariots and a great host to apprehend Elisha and they had k 2 K. 6.14 compassed the Gitie about in which he was What hope of life here what way was there in human Reason for the Prophet to escape Yet the Lord who knowes how to dâ—liver the godly out of temptations had a doore open for him whereby to escape When the Scots Army suddenly and unexpectedly fell upon us had many advantages Our whole Army was like to be engaged not then in a capacity or posture to fight but rather as sheep to be led to the slaughter what hope of life here who can see any way of comming out As a man upon a Rock in the Sea sees only waters round about him no land so is our present case we see nothing but either fight or flye Coacta stabile ad praelium we must fight and are forced to it even in this sad and hard condition But the Lord who hath his preventing blessings of goodnesse commanded the Moone not to give her light over-shadowed her with his thick clouds so that the Scots are here left like the Sodomites in darknesse groping for our men as they did for Lot's house whilst the Angels of the Lord put forth their hands and pulled us in under the shadow of the Almighty Thus God was seene in the Mount an act of speciall providence and sufficient to convince any Adversary that the Lord was with us and with our Cause unlesse he be like unto him who said I will not be convinced though I am convinced Indeed some men are like
witchcrafts sodomies murthers c. of his Ancestors to William the Bastard as they make him say in his Declaration Yet he knew how to lick up all againe and to turne when occasion should be to his former vomit and wallowing in the mire Germanicus howbeit a Heathen was so affected to see his men cast away as that he said * Se tanti exitij reum clamitaret vix cohibuere amici quo minus eodem mari opeteret Tac. Annal l. 2. he onely was guilty of their death and could hardly be stayed by his Friends from casting himselfe into the Sea But their Kings happy Conversion amounted not to so much humanity ingenuity pitty fellow-feeling c. It seems by this he was at most but a Pharisaicall Proselite of whome Christ sayth t Mat. 23.15 Yee * So did the Scots to make this man their Proselite compasse Sea and Land to make one Proselite and when he is made ye make him two fold more the Child of Hell then your selves Some give the sence of the place thus the Proselite is two fold worse because whatsoever he saw evill in the Pharisees that he would learne and practise but wherein they did well and what was good therein he followed them not Such a Proselite their King seems to be he sees them dissemble seek to cozen the World under glorious words of a holy Covenant pure worship a zeale of God against superstition Heresie Prophanenesse c. This he learnes by heart and speaks it by rote and lies and dissembles as fast as they but for other things which he sees amongst them as are venerable lovely and of good report we doe not understand he is this way inclined to follow their example 3. Remarkeable it is and another proofe of Gods witnessing against their Cause how the Scots Prophets u Lam. 2.14 have seene vaine and foolish things false Burthens and causes of banishment These men as our Generall hath well observed have hindered the passage of good things to the hearts of the People And when much love hath been offered them in the Bowells of Jesus Christ by good words and faire Speeches they have deceived the minds of the simple whereby they have brought the just guilt of much blood upon their owne heads And not onely like x Jer. 28.1 2 3 4. Hananiah have some of them sought out false Visions Prophecying the destruction of an Army promising safety and Victory to theirs but leaving the subject to which they were called and taking to them the Instruments of foolish Shepheards they would give Orders to the Souldiery where to March when to Fight Counselling them contrary to the advice of their chiefe Officers by which their rash and heady presumptions many were overthrowne and destroyed It is somewhere reported of the Indians that if they snuffe up into their Nostrills the powder of the Herb Cohabba they will streightwayes run mad and are ready to doe any bad thing We can shew it by experience when Ministers leave off to Preach Christ and meddle in State Affairs and Worldly polities will determine of civill powers asperse the Government under which they live and not be subject to the higher Powers for all their swelling words of being the Ministers of Jesus Christ ready to speake in their Masters service and will refuse no suffering so they may fullfill their Ministrey with joy Such as doe receive their Carnall Doctrines are driven into a kind of fury and madness acting strange things prejudiciall and destructive to the People amongst whome they live Philosophers doe hold if the inferiour spheres were not rul'd in a manner corrected by the highest the swiftnes of their motion would quickly fire the World There are no men so swift of motion as some of our Coat and did not the higher spheres wisely rule them and many times correct them too they would soone set on fire both Church and State Scotland at present can say so by wofull experience England would say no lesse if her higher spheres were as low and dull as theirs 4. This is to be added as a further manifestation of God just hand against their unrighteous Cause To wit wha◠this Army was I mean in their owne eyes which the Lord by weaknesse overthrew All Covenanters no * As Gideons Army was glorieous when it was separate from all the Cowardly faint-hearted So the Scots having outed and routed all disaffected to the Cause of the Kirk and Covenant it must needs be honourablē Malignants Sectaries Papists an Army in point of Covenant Reformation like the Spanish Armado in 88. INVINCIBLE An Army like Alberts Duke of Saxony called the Dye Groate Gaerde the great Rod or Whip so this shall be the Hammer of Hereticks the Scourge of Schismaticks and Sectaries That is being interpreted the Arme of Flesh and instrumentall means to hinder the passage of the Gospell suppresse the wayes of Christ and power of godlinesse and to advance humane institutions formallity Tyranny c. Indeed such glorying there was in this reformed Army having none in it but Subscribers to the Covenant and the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron being likewise amongst them their enemies vaine men Children of Belial with whom were the golden Calves which the Parliament had made whose leader was the great Antichrist As the foolish and ignorant people did fully beleive there would be little need for them to Fight but standing still they should see their Enemies fall before them Being dealt withall here not much unlike one Tammoran a Jacobine Fryer who perswaded Joanillie Anastros Boy to kill the Prince of Orange and for his encouragement gave him certaine Characters in paper assuring him that he should goe invisibly having the same about him The Crue of the condition of this Army having also the Kirks blessing with it so tickled the ears of the people as it was no other then as a Chrame to bewitch them causing them a Jer. 29.31 to trust in a lye and for sake their owne mercies Among the Scythians when their Priests foretold an untruth they were carried along upon hurdles full of heath dry wood drawne by Oxen and manicled Hand and Foot and burnt to death My worst wishes towards these men is Repentance from dead works and that God will make them see how extreamly they have deluded and abused the People It was piously and Christianly spoken of our Generall in his Letter to them The Lord pitty you sayth he Truly I pitty them with my heart and my Bowells yearn for them neverthelesse being to speake of their hypocrisies and delusions in so grosly dissembling with God and his People as the same Hand writes I conceive it is my duty having the Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe for an example to discover things in such a way as is best and profitablest to undeceive the people b Isa 29.16 Surely their turning of things upsidowne shall be esteemed as
2.25 11.25 I will put the dread of thee and the feare of thee upon Nations who shall heare report of thee and shall tremble h Jos 2.9 Your terrour is fallen upon us that all the Inhabitants of the land faint because of you i Jos 5.1 Their hearts melted neither was their spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel Thus k Job 17.8 the innocent shall stirre himselfe up against the hypocrite and howsoever behind their backs they shall be called a Sectarian Army and Anti-christs souldiers yet when they come face to face they are a dread and a terror and a great feare unto them and no marvail mark the reason l Ps 14.5 for God is in the congregation of the righteous and breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder and the Chariot he burneth with fire No marvail they throw away their Arms and flie Horse and Foot when God striketh their hearts with inward stinging terrours this was signified by the m Exo. 23.20 Deut. 7.20 Josh 24.12 hornets n Deut. 32.25 The sword without and terrour within shall destroy As a Theif flies before the pursuer and dares not â—ight or look back knowing what he hath done and how his condition is so men being conscious to the falshood and injustice of their Cause have no courage in Battle but through the horrour and dread of a guilty Conscience with sorrow and shame flye before their enemies 4. Feare and faintnesse is upon them because now they begin to consider the great things which the Lord hath done for their enemies What remarkable deliverances and victories they have formerly had how hee hath evermore blest the labours of their hands and made them successefull and prosperous wheresoever they come This coming to their mind with thoughts of Gods revenging hand formerly upon them forth iâ—deceit and hypocrisie in acting the same thing which now they doe it convinceth them that the others have a rightful cause they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God and fighters against God and Christ ‖ Jer. 33.9 When the nations of the earth shall heare all the good that I doe â—nto thee they shall feare and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the prosperity that I procure unto thee Saul seeing the Lord was with David o 1 Sam. 18.28 29. he was the more affraid of him howsoever some men make no profitable and good use in beholding Gods mighty Actings for his people neverthelesse affraid they are of such with whom they see Gods presence and appearance thus to be As the Lord said of Noah and his sons p Gen. 9.2 the feare of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth so there fals and lies a dread and fear upon these men although as Saul did David they hate them and are enemies to them continually 5. And in a word they are affraid q Psal 65.8 at Gods tokens what desolations he hath made in the earth Who knows the power of thine anger whilst they consider what others have suffered for hyporisie falshood cruelty and other misdemeanors they cannot but quake and tremble to think how the like wrath is powring out now upon them yea greater deeper heavier being for hypocrisie and prophanenesse of life far worse and viler than many Nations whom the Lord hath scattered and destroyed for such sins r Psal 66.5 Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men Å¿ Isa 42.18 Heare ye deafe and looke ye blind that ye may see Again on the other hand if they are the people and it be the cause which the Lord loves and likes and wil defend he will in Battle put courage and strength into them t Lev. 26.6 None shall make them affraid u Psal 112.8 their heart is established and they shall not be affraid untill they see their desire upon their enemies And no marvell for x Isa 12.2 the Lord JEHOVAH is their strength y Deut. 7.21 a mighty and terrible God among them a Psal 74.12 working salvation in the mids of the earth As one set on a high rock or standing upon a sure and invincible Tower may looke and laugh at all his enemies below not caring what they can do possibly against him how fiercely and furiously soever they assault him so they who have God for their rock and tower though they b Psal 23.4 walk in the valley of the shadow of death though their enemies are two to one yea ten to one and have all the conveniencies accommodations and advantages that their hearts can wish yet they need feare no evill for he c Psal 118.7 that takes their part with them that helps them wil let them see their desire upon them that hate them d Isa 28.29 This also commeth from THE LORD OF HOST which is wonderfull in Counsell and excellent in working 9. If by the return of prayer we may learn any thing of the mind of God in this likewise we have a full and cleare testimony given us that the Lord loved us and approved our Cause This thing his Excellency hath well observed * In his letter to the Ministers in Edenburgh Castle Did not you saith hee solemnly appeale and pray did not we so and shall we after all these our prayers fastings teares expectations and solemn Appeals call these bare Events The Lord pitty you Some men are like little children who cannot read unlesse it be in their owne Booke what gracious Answers and speciall returns of prayer the Lord vouchsafes unto others here they can see nothing of God nothing of his power goodnesse justice and faithfulnesse nothing of his justifying and owning a righteous Cause and his just displeasure against lying and falshood It is only a bare Event which they behold and nothing else to such grosse darkenesse of heart are they given up and delivered over It was a law among the Assyrians that if any did fall sick he should ask counsell of those that had been visited with the like sicknesse by what meanes and way they were recovered If you ask of d Exo. 17.11 Moses e Psal 56.9 David f 2 Chron. 14. Asa g 2 Chron. 20. Jehosaphat h 2 King 19. Hezekiah when they fought against their Enemies who were more in number and mightier then they how out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight subdued Kingdoms and turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens They would say The Lord i 1 Chr. 5.20 helped them and delivered the enemies into their hands because they made their supplications and prayers unto him When God purposeth to bestow any speciall favour upon his People he moves their hearts before hand to pray for it How the Lord prepared the heart even filled the souls of many thousand pretious people with the Spirit of Supplication
them which formerly they had they may thanke themseÌ„lves this is of their ingratitude murmuring against God Moses changed their Opinion nothing now but bare events successe proves nothing all things come alike c. Howsoever the Victories and deliverances which they so cried up as to have on them the visible stamp and Character of Gods owning the Cause were not by many degrees in severall particulars so eminent and remarkable as these are of whom we speake Now who can but pitty the people thus deluded and abused by these men And what hath been the * Hos 15.1 Snare on Mizpah and the Net spread upon Tabor the ‖ Zech. 13.4 rough Garment whereby they have deceived the simple but chiefly their long Prayers frequent Fastings for the prosperity of the Scots Army bitter exclamations and invectives against the present Government Those who hawk for Birds make a stale of the Owle and so the silly Birds whilst they are staring about her are taken For what serves some mens sowre faces bowing downe the head as a Bulrush covering the Altar with tears with weeping and with cryings throwing all the curses of the Law at Magistrates but as a bait to catch silly Birds simple people for whilst they stand gazing on these men as at some strange Creature a wonder to see so much rebellion malice hypocrisie covered under the cloak of a holy Covenant the cause of God extirpation of Heresie Schisme prophanenesse they fall into the Net of destroying and undoing themselves x Isa 58.34 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Why have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no notice Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse y Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot heare but your iniquities have seperated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not heare 10. How exceedingly the Lord at this time appeared for us and gave witnesse to the Justice of our Cause will be the more perspicuous and cleare if former Victories and deliverances be duely considered that is what God hath done for us in England and Ireland and how he hath all along gone forth with this Army since it was first raised still upholding the same cause which by the Scots to their shame and losse is now opposed It is true the cause of God this publick righteous Cause which is now held forth by the Parliament of England hath found Enemies of severall kinds of all sorts and sice As the Trent Fathers howsoever among themselves they could not agree yet to oppose and persecute Luther therein unanimously accorded together So the Enemies of this Commonwealth although there be among them some difference and that not a little as being some Papisticall others prelaticall some Presbyteriall yet here they all center and are one in malice and revenge in their designe and plot all one as seeking every one of them the overthrow of this present Government A Painter being Commanded by the Turk to paint every Nation in his habite Painted the Germain naked and being asked the Cause Answered he could not prescribe him a particular kind of habit he was so delighted with Novelties If it were my task to set out here to the life what the designe and plot is of the Enemy I mean wherein they agree altogether against us I could not doe better to have it truely understood then to compare it to the naked Germain for one while it hath upon it Scarlet or Royall a Rev. 12.3 Red other while an Irish b Pro. 7.9 black sometimes a Scotch c Ezek. 23.56 Blew thus there is a changing and shifting of Colours from Red to Black from Black to Blew as they see occasion of advantage yet so as but one body the plot and designe still the same In this combination sayth the Parliament the Popish * An Act of Thanksgiving for setting a part Tuesday Octob. 8. 1650. Prelaticall Prophane and Malignant Parties stand behind the Curtaine and seemed for a season to be quite laid aside that the cause of God the Covenant and work of Reformation might beare the name It is true they did so here now was laid aside in Appearance Red and Black and the naked Germain comes forth all in Blew having on his forehead RELIGION and under the name of Religion the extirpation of our Religion Laws and Liberty is intended But the Lord of Host who had before delivered our Army and us with it out of the Paw of the Lion and the Beare Royalists and Irish the same God by weake means delivered us from that insulting Enemie who had defied the Army of the living God If we heare one Cock Crow and no more there is some hope and probability the day is breaking but if all it is taken for certaine and out of doubt In many Victories which the Lord hath given us so much hath appeared being lookt on single and a part as we might hopefully say Englands great day of deliverance from the Tyranny of Kings and Priests is at hand But when we consider successes and victories every where in England in Ireland in Scotland so seasonable and wonderfull as no other Nation almost hath ever heard or been made partaker of we should not glorifie God in those great things which he doth for us unlesse beleiving his works we did say The Lord is creating England a rejoycing and her people a joy d Judg. 13.23 If the Lord meant to â—ill us he would not have shewed us all these things That e Deut. 23.14 Jehovah walks in the midst of our Câ—mp to deliver them and to give up the Enemies before them makes one Army a blessing in the Earth no Weapon that is formed against it doth prosper And for the Machavilion Councells traiterous devises and all endeavours of the Enemy here and every where whither Popish prelaticall Irish Scotish we see still like Arrows they fall on their owne heads are not these things sufficient evidences and demonstrations that the Lord takes our part is Emanuel God with us and with our cause Surely let the Enemy like another Pharaoh harden himselfe and in the time of his distresse trespasse yet more against the Lord as Ahaz did Yet we for our parts shall not be unbeleiving but beleive yea and further be assured from these present actings and appearances of God for us that he will mainetaine this Cause of ours against all Enemies in spight of all their falshoods lies Hypocrisies never so artificially and deceitfully cloaked and covered over with the cause of God the Covenant Reformation Praying Fasting When Balak and Balaam King and Prophet had done what they could turned every stone and tryed every way from place to place what they could doe against Israel by their Sorceries and Enchantments and perceiving all
EMANUEL OR GOD WITH US Wherein is set forth Englands late great Victory over the Scots Armie in a Battle at Dunbar Septemb. 3. 1650. And by many Particulars of Gods Acting and Appearing then for us it is certaine and so much is cleâ—rly proved that our Armies marching into Scotland and the Wars undertaken and prosecuted against that Nation to be upon Grounds of Justice and Necessity as the PARLIAMENT of ENGLAND hath declared Also here is shewed how grosly the Covenant is abus'd and what an Idoll it is now made With the fraud and falshood of the Scots and their Kings hypocrisie and dissimulation Moreover such Objections are answered as seeme to have any thing in them against the point here Asserted By JOHN CANNE The First Part published by Authority Psal 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine Enemie doth not triumph over me Isa 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see London printed by Matthew Simmons next doore to the Goden Lyon in Aldersgate street 1650. To the Right Honourable the Supreame Authority of this Nation the Parliament of ENGLAND SIRS MANY men have written well and effectually in the defenc of your Cause and have sufficiently proved it to be a righteous and glorious Cause Nevertheles as the Philistims stop'd the Wels which Abraham had dig'd and filled them with earth so it hath been the constant endeavour of some men by fraud and falshood to darken the cleare and evident truth which hath been opened to the end people might not have the benefit of such wholsome and sweet water But the Lord of Hosts whose Cause yours is hath like Isaac digged again the wels of water what was stop'd by others he hath opened He I say now is a Writer for you so that were there no Bookes extent pleading your Cause Gods owne hand were enough the late booke written as it were with pen and inke of divine providence were sufficient As the unbeleeving Jewes could not keep Christ in the grave though they rol'd a great stone before the doore of the Sepulcre but hee gloriously ascended so this righteous Cause which God hath put into your hands shall rise and shine as the Sun far and neere amongst the Nations of the earth In spight of enemies let them use all the the wiles wit and wayes they can to keep it under Aristotle saith omne inconsuetum est obscurum I confesse the way which I here take to justifie your Cause against all Adversaries of what name or title soever may at first seeme obscure being hitherto by few walked in Scire per causam is the common rode but when it shall be considered what light I have â—â—nd whose hand as a Guide I here follow I question not but it will be acknowledged that a more certain way cannot be chosen to give a clear and full satisfaction to all men desirous to know on whose side the Truth and Right is between you and your Enemies I doe observe that there are two sorts of men unfruitfull Beholders of Gods marvellous and great works 1. The bruitish man as David calls him he never considers of them nor sees any thing of providence therein As Nicomacus in Plutarch fitly answered an Ideâ—t that could see no beauty in the famous Helena painted by Zeuxis take my eyes quoth he and you shall think her to be a Goddesse Even so had these men other mens eyes any spirituall discerning they would see in Gods dispensations so much of his power goodnesse justice c. as they would say Jehovah there is none like unto thee who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Another sort there are who will speak of divine providence and confesse that all things are govâ—rned by Gods counsell and nothing comes to passe but according to his will and pleasure notwithstanding they will not see his hand when it is lifted up nor make any profitable and good use thereof As the Papist though in words they acknowledge the Scriptures yet by their corrupt interpretation in a manner deny them So these men though they confesse a providence yet by their unsound application thereof doe in effect deny it destroying with one hand what they build with the other And with this later sort I specially here deale I shall not trouble your Honours with a large Epistle Only thus as God by his Acting for you hath made it evident and you many times in your Declarations humbly confesse it that he is on your side takes your part justifies and ownes your Cause so let it appeare â—o the world by your Actings that you are not for your Selves and your own Interests but for God as owning his Cause which is Truth Righteousness Now the Lord who alone hath power to make you able to Act Appeare for him and his Cause as he hath Acted and Appeared for you and your Cause give you both hearts and hands so to doe And thus shall hee ever pray who is Yours most humble and faithful Servant JOHN CANNE EMANVEL OR GOD WITH US Wherein is set forth Englands late great Victory over the SCOTS Armie in a Battle at Dunbarre the third of September 1650. AS The Sun would shine in it's own brightnesse and glory though all the world were blind or did wilfully shut their eyes against it So will the Lord gloriously appeare in his mighty and wondrous works howsoever man shuts his eyes and a Isa 26.10 11. will not behold the majestie of the Lord nor see wâ—â—n his hand is lifted up I make no question had the Scots obâ—ained the Victory though not cloathed with halfe so many remarkable circumstances of Gods presence they would have said and their friends here likewise in the words of the Prophet b Psal 9.4 Thou hast maintained my right and my cause Thou satest in the throne judging right And as Protogenes said of the Painters line c Non enim cadere in alium tam absolutum opus Plin. na hist l. 35. cap. 9. none but Apelles could draw it So would they peremptorily have concluded had our Army been overthrown a speciall hand of God remonstrating a justifying of them their Cause their King and Kirk I hope without offence what they would have done had our Cause been theirs we may take the like liberty and with reverence to the place say d Psal 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Yea and make it appeare in the eyes of all impartiall and dis-ingaged men that the Lord was so with us and for us in this great Victory as doth strongly prove make good our Armies marching into Scotland and the Wars undertaken and prosecuted against that Nation to be as the e Decl. of the Parl. of England upon the marching of the Army into Scotland Parliament hath declared upon Grounds of Justice and Necessity 1. It is a sign that the Lord maintains the
Cause of a people when he seasonably delivers them from an insoleÌ„t proud Enemy from f Psal 75.4 vain-glorious fools Holelim Mad-boasting fools vainly promising themselves Victory breaâ—hing out threatnings Thus the Aegyptians triumph g Exod. 15.9 The enemy said I will pursue I will over come I will divide the spoile my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword mine hand shall destrâ—y them Behold how they flattered them selves in their own eyes h Hab. 3.14 rejoycing to devour the poore in secret But whilst they were imagining a victory and dividing the prey i Judg. 5.30 the Lord stirred up himselfe and awaked to Israels judgment even unto his Cause and therein not only got himself a great name but it is recorded as one k Neh. 9.10 of his signes and wonders shewed upon Pharaoh a special deliverance and that which carries the stamp and character of a divine providence and mercy towards his Church and People No lesse insulted Benhadad he will not be satisfied with l 1 King 20.5 Ahabs silver and his gold and his wives and his children m Vers 6. But he will send his servants and they shall search his house the houses of his servants and it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in his eyes they shall take it away Besides he takes his gods to witnesse n Vers 10. If the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow him Here I may say with the Prophet o Psal 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe O thou mighty man How God destroyed the Army of that blood-boasting Tyrant and cloath'd him with shame the History shews and with all in that the Lord did so it did evidâ—â—â—ly appeare that Israel had the better Cause Other instances of the like kind might be produced but we come now to the application Touching the insolency of the Scots how proud and puft up they were with an imaginary victory it is almost incredible They reproached us with that condition the Parliaments Army was in when it made its hard conditions with the King in Cornwall this jestingly they calâ—d Essex his Pound demanded of our men to yeeld up our Train Carriages and Fire-arms They had disposed of us and of their businesse in sufficient wrath and revenge towards our persons and had swallowedâ—p the poore Interest of England believing that our Army lay at their mercy and that they would suddenly with their new King at the head of their Army march up to London without any opposition or interruption David Lesley then Generall in the field boasted he would have our whole Armie dead or alive by seveâ— a clock the next morning Neither were the Ministers lesse insolent and presumptuous then the rest for as Pharaoh said of the children of Israel they are intangled in the land the wildernesse hath shut them in so these conceiving us to be in a trap * Tantaene aenimis caelestibus irae Virg. Eneid l. 1. perswaded their Commanders to draw up their Army between us and home that none might escape or drive us into the Sea and so drown us It seems the Scots would have been like the Fig-tree to which Christ went for fruit and found none no Quarter no Mercy no Deliverance to be expected from them It was the honour of the Nâ—monâ—ines that they would make peace with Mancius a Roman Captain when they might have had the killing of the whole Army to a man But the Scots although not Conquerours but in conceit will swallow up our whole Army not spare a man neither is there any one to deliver them out of their hands But p Exo. 18.11 in the thing wherin they dealt proudly the Lord was above them So that what David prayed for when his ememies insulted was a mercy here bestowed upon our Army q Psal 35.26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at my hurt let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me And in this the Lord hath not left himself without witnesse in reference to the Justice of our Cause by giving us so wonderful a victory and deliverance I shall conclude with this admonition to the Scots and their Adherents r Psal 75. l 5. I said to the vain-glorious fools be not vain-gloriously foolish and to the wicked lift not up the horn Lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiffe neck 2. It argues Gods owning a people and their Cause when he Å¿ Psal 136.23 remembers them in a low estate appâ—ars for them when humane helps and hopes in a manner faile and gives them victory over an Enemy strong t Judg. 3.29 lasty and men of valour In the Book of Judges Samuel Kings Chronicles the people of God sometimes have been so low as they have not u 2 Chron. 20.12 known what to doe x Deut. 32.36 their power gone their Generall y 2 Sam. 21.15 fainted a 1 Sam. 30.10 half of their Army so feeble sore broken as not able to march In a word they have been reduced to such streights as if they had the sentence of death in themselves Now Gods appearing for them at such a time and giving them the victory in such a case not only shewed that it was the work of his own hands but as if upon the Actings and Appearances of the Lord it had been written in broad and viâ—ble Characters THIS IS GODS CAUSE How weake and low the condition of our Army was thus it is related We being thus humbled by the hand of God and the menaces of mercilesse men Our Forces lessened our bodies enfeebled with fluxes our strength wasted with watchings want of drinke wet and cold being our continuall companions much impaired our strength and courage and made above 2000. men altogether uselesse which were sent away at severall times to Berwick His Excellency and his Officers finding their unfitnesse for further delay and being in and under such streights and distresses resolved by day breake to breake through this Israelitish condition Mans extreamity is Gods opportunity when we are b Psal 107.28 29. at our wits end then maketh he the storm a calm and bringeth us to our desired haven And it is an usual thing with God thus to manifest his power in our weaknesse and by unworthy and unlikely instruments contemptible in the eyes of men to bring great things to passe to confound the things which are great and mighty that it may appear c Eccl. 9.11 The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong and therefore d Jer. 9.23 the mighty man should not glory in his might but his glorying should be in the holy one of Israel Again the Lord very often puts off the time of our deliverance till we are at a lost and in the lowest and weakest condition that